As a contemporary romance and stream-of-consciousness novel, this book can be said to have reached the pinnacle of Chinese romance fiction. With delicate, lyrical prose, the author celebrates and praises a poor, frail young woman who is content with an ordinary life, preserves her virtue, yearns for love, and is resolute in her convictions. After Huang Shuyin is hired by the wealthy Shangguan family, she hides a kind and free-spirited heart, restless and longing to break free, in Mengjiao Garden. When she falls in love with Shangguan Li, she faces suspicion, obstruction, oppression, and separation with courage, overcoming one crisis after another. In the end, the lovers' dream comes true at Xiangshuling, leaving the world in awe.
The book is one million words long and is divided into three volumes: Volume One, Old Friends in the Mountains and Rivers; Volume Two, Vast Heaven and Earth; Volume Three, A Taste for Elegance. Centered on Huang Shuyin, a young woman working in domestic service, the story follows the friendship, family ties, and romance that unfold between her and a textile worker in the paradise-like Xiangshuling. Told with subtlety and emotion, it vividly portrays modern young people…
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
